Mousetrap type game apparatus



April 8, 9 E. s. LARSION, JR 3,437,337

MOUSETRAP TYPE GAME APPARATUS med Nov. 25. 1966 l N V l To 2 EDWAAD s. Mesa/v, we

AT ORNEYS United States Patent 3,437,337 MOUSETRAP TYPE GAME APPARATUS Edward S. Larson, Jr., Libertyville, Ill., assignor to Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, 11]., a partnership Filed Nov. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 596,956

Int. Cl. A63f 9/04 US. Cl. 273-1 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game comprising a plurality of simulated mice figures, each having its tail detachably fixed to its body, a tray upon which the mice figures are to be placed, a cover for the tray including a handle portion, and a die determining by chance the placement of the cover on the tray during the play of the game in an attempt to trap the players mice. An attempt to withdraw a trapped mouse from the tray may result in separation of its tail from the body.

This invention relates to an action game which may be played and enjoyed by all ages from very young children to the elderly.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel game apparatus including a plurality of playing pieces, each being of a size and configuration of a bug or mouse or other small animals with a long detachable tail, a tray on which the small animals are placed, a cover for the tray, the cover being of sufiicient size to enclose the animals on the tray, a die, and chips or tokens for counting the score of each player. The directions and manner of playing the game will be hereafter stated.

A preferred embodiment of the game apparatus is shown in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tray with three bugs thereon, the tails of each bug being held in the hand of a player, with the cover removed from the tray, and a. die;

FIGURE 2 shows the same elements with the cover placed on the tray to enclose one bug with the two other bugs removed from the tray;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the cover;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged side view, partly in section of the tray;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the die;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan iview of a chip or token; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a bug playing piece with the tail detached from the bug figure.

As shown in the drawing, the game is adapted for three to six players. The game apparatus comprises a board or tray indicated generally at 10. The tray has a flat undersurface or base 12, which rests on the table or other playing surface, and a circular central portion 14 which is elevated. Eight separate runways 16 extend from the circumference of the base 12 to the outer edge of the central elevated portion 14. These runways 16 constitute tracks on which the bug playing pieces 18 (hereafter described) are pulled manually by each player from the elevated central portion of the tray to a position otf the track. A cover element 20 (FIGURES l and 3) is adapted to fit over and cover the central elevated portion 14 of the tray. The cover is dome-shaped and has a handle 22 in the top center thereof, with a knob portion 24 for grasping by the hand (FIGURE 3). In the upper dome section of the cover 20 are slits 26 which permit air to escape therethrough to allow a more rapid movement of the cover when the cover is placed on the tray.

The bug playing pieces 18, as best seen in FIGURE 7, comprise an oval-shaped pieces in horizontal cross section which is ornamented to simulate a bug. In a side wall of the bug piece is a port 28 leading to a hollow space into which the tail 30 is inserted and detachably held by means of a head 32 on one end thereof. At the other end of the tail 30 is a loop handle 34 which may be readily grasped by the fingers of a player.

In FIGURE 5 is shown a die 36 with three sides painted red and three painted white. FIGURE 6 shows a conventional chip or token 38 which is used for counting in the play of the game.

In playing the game each player seeks to avoid having his bug captured and to gain tokens by catching other players bugs. The first player to gain twenty-one tokens wins the game.

Each player is given a bug and ten chips. Each player then, in turn, rolls the die. The first player to roll a red upper surface on the die controls the cover 20. Each player, except the player who controls the cover, then places his bug playing piece in the center of the tray with the tails extending down [runways 16. Each player with a bug holds the extended end 34 of the tail.

The it player, i.e. the player controlling the cover, then holds the cover suspended above the bugs on the central portion of the tray, leaving enough space for each player to freely withdraw his bug. The it player then rolls the die in an area adjacent the tray which is visible to all of the players. If the die shows red on its upper surface, the it player slams down the lid and tries to catch the bugs before the other players can withdraw them. When a player jerks his Ibugs tail 30 and the cover is placed on the tray before his bug can be withdrawn, the bead 32 on the section of the tail inserted through port 28 in the side wall of the bug will be forced out through the port 28 and the tail will become detached from the bug (see FIGURE 2). The head 32 can be readily forced through port 28 to re-attach the tail to the bug.

If the die shows White on its upper surface, the lid must remain up and all bugs must remain on the tray. There is no action on a white roll of the die.

Only the it player may 'win tokens or chips. He wins one token for each bug captured under the cover. The player whose bug is captured pays one token to the it player. Also, when a player makes a mistake and pulls his bug completely off the tray on a white die roll, he must pay one token to the it player.

The it player loses control of the cover if he (1) fails to catch any bugs on a red roll of the die or (2) slams down the lid on a white roll of the die. In either case, the it player must then pass the cover to the next player on his left and that player becomes the it player in controlling the cover. If the it player does not lose control of the cover for cause as stated above, he must relinquish control after five rolls of the die and pass the cover on to the player on his left.

If a player loses all his tokens, he is out of the game. As stated above, when a player wins a total of twenty-one tokens, he wins the game.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a specific device, further modifications are likely to occur to those familiar with this class of apparatus, and which modifications could be made without departing from the principles of this invention. It should be understood that the described manner of playing the game with the illustrated apparatus is simply by way of example, and that other forms of play might be devised.

I claim:

1. A game comprising (1) a plurality of playing pieces each having a relatively long and flexible element detachably fixed thereto,

(2) means defining an area for placement of the playmg pieces,

ice

(3) a cover for said area comprising a generally concave element having a handle portion at its center and provided with a plurality of openings in its side Wall, and

(4) chance means for determining the placement of the cover on the playing area and the withdrawal of the playing pieces from said area during the play of the game.

References Cited FOREIGN I PATENTS 64,618 7/1946 Denmark.

5 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner. 

